Darko Macan
Darko Macan (born 1966) is a Croatian author and illustrator who has created and collaborated on comics, essays and authored numerous science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of comics magazine "Q-Strip". 'Early life' Darko Macan was born in Zagreb, where he still lives. He has a degree in history and archeology from the University of Zagreb. 'Career' Macan started writing professionally in 1986. writing science fiction for numerous SF magazines in former Yugoslavia. He's been drawing comics ever since he was in elementary school, but he got his first professional work in 1988. doing a comic strip of his own creation, Bemmet (Bočko) for Croatian science fiction magazine SFera, as well as launching licensed Tom and Jerry comics for Croatian publisher Vjesnik. He has created numerous comics for the Croatian and Serbian market, including self-drawn comic-strip Borovnica, poetic fantasy La Béte Noire '''with '''Milan Jovanović, Mister Mačak (Mr. Meow) with''' Robert Solanović', '''Martina Mjesec' with Goran Sudžuka, and is currently writing and drawing Sergej, a tale of an anthropomorphic bear mercenary in a postapocalyptic world, largely inspired by Stan Sakai's mixture of cartoonish animals and adult themes in Usagi Yojimbo. Under the pseudonym Cecile Quintal he has written essays, reviews and columns about comics for several decades. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of Q-Strip magazine, which publishes work from comics authors from all the former Yugoslavian countries. 'Work for American publishers' In 1993. Macan broke into the American comics industry with fellow Croatian artist Edvin Biuković, with their work on Grendel Tales for Dark Horse. He also worked on Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse for'' Disney comics'', and several Star Wars miniseries for Dark Horse (including Vader's Quest, Jedi vs. Sith and Chewbacca). He is credited for introdiucing numerous (now famous) croatian artists to the US market, namely Igor Kordej, Edvin Biuković, Danjiel Žeželj, and many others. With Igor Kordej, Macan worked on Tarzan '''for '''Dark Horse, and the critically acclaimed Cable: The End and Soldier X for Marvel. With Igor Kordey he collaborated on Captain America: Dead Men Running for Marvel and The Sandman Presents : Corinthian - Death In Venice, for Vertigo Comics, the latter of which is significant, because it features Charles Constantine, John Constantine's great-uncle. In 1999. Macan wrote a two-part story for Hellblazer, published in Hellblazer #144 and Hellblazer #145, titled "Ashes and Honey", illustrated by Gary Erskine. The story dealt with refugees from the Balkan conflicts, which raged in Croatia and Bosnia after the dissolution of Yugoslavia. and the magic they brought with them. 'Themes' Macan's most acclaimed works for American publishers are often centered around the horrors of war, and the conflicts between former allies, friends and brothers. His work on Grendel Tales, Jedi vs. Sith, Soldier X Weird War Tales '''and '''Cable can be seen as metaphores and allegories of the Balkan wars (or conflict in general), a theme made explicit in his Hellblazer storyline Ashes and Honey. 'Bibliography' 'Comics' *''Citati'' (with Edvin Biuković, Stripagent, 1993, 2000) *''Strossmayer'' (with Radovan Devlić and Dušan Gačić, Glas koncila, 1993) *''Grendel Tales: Devils and Deaths'' (with Edvin Biuković, Dark Horse Comics, 1996) *''Star Wars: X-Wing: The Phantom Affair'' (with Michael Stackpole and Edvin Biuković, Dark Horse Comics, 1997) *''Borovnica'' (Školska knjiga, 1998) *''Tarzan: Carson of Venus'' (with Igor Kordej, Dark Horse Comics, 1999) *''Hellblazer'' #144-145 (with Gary Erskine, Vertigo, 2000) *''Star Wars: Vader's Quest'' (with Dave Gibbons, Dark Horse Comics, 2000) *''Weird War Tales'' (with Edvin Biuković, "A Prayer to the Sun", Vertigo, 2000) *''Star Wars Tales 3: Lady Luck'' (with Rich Handley, Dark Horse Comics, 2001) *''Star Wars: Chewbacca'' (with a group of other artists, Dark Horse Comics, 2001) *''Komarac: Prop'o plan'' (with Štef Bartolić; Profil, 2001) *''Star Wars: Jedi vs Sith'' (with Ramon Bachs, Dark Horse Comics, 2002) *''La Béte Noire'' #1-5 (with Milan Jovanović, Drugi pogled, 2001 and 2002) *''Mister Mačak'' (with Robert Solanović and Tihomir Tikulin; Bookglobe, 2002) *''Cable: The End'' (with Igor Kordej, David Tischmann and Mike Huddlestone, Marvel Comics, 2002) *''Soldier X'' #1-8 (with Igor Kordej, Marvel Comics, 2002) *''Mr. Meow'' (with Robert Solanović) in Furrlough issue #113, Radio Comix, 2002 *''Mister Mačak protiv zvjezdanog roja'' (with Robert Solanović; Bookglobe, 2005) *''Borovnica - - - protiv Paje Pauka!'' (Mentor, 2005) *''Borovnica - - - predvodi čopor!'' (Mentor, 2007) *''Borovnica: pasice'' (Mentor, 2007) *''Pirati - cio svijet na internet!'' (Autorska kuća, 2007) *''Kolumbo'' (Mentor, 2007) *''Martina Mjesec'' (with Goran Sudžuka; Mentor, 2007) *''Svebor i Plamena'' (with Goran Sudžuka; Fibra, 2007) *''Mali Guj i njegov Zmuj'' (with Frano Petruša; Mentor, 2007) *''Borovnica - - - rani dani!'' (Mentor, 2008) *''Mišo: štakori trče počasni krug!'' (Mentor, 2008) *''Bočko: 20 godina s nama'' (Mentor, 2008) *''Sergej: stare priče'' (Mentor, 2008) *''Dnevniq'' (Mentor, 2009) *''Sergej Strip'' 1-16 (Lavirint, ongoing) 'Books about comics' *''Stripocentrik : (Kvintalove tjedne kartice)'' (Mentor, 2005) *''Hrvatski strip : 1945.-54.'' (Mentor, 2007) 'Science fiction and fantasy prose' *''Ona koju vole bogovi'', novel (with Tatjana Jambrišak, Goran Konvični, Damir Starešinić and Berislav Lopac) (included in annual collection Zagreb 2014 by SFera, 1998) *''Koža boje masline'', novel (included in annual collection Dvije tisuće šarenih aliena by SFera, 2000), SFERA Award *''Teksas Kid (i još neka moja braća), short story collection, includes ''Koža boje masline (Mentor, 2003) *''42 (pročitaj i daj dalje), short stories (Mentor, 2009) 'Books about science fiction' *''Macan čita! (obdukcija SF-žanra u Hrvata) (Mentor, 2007) 'Books for children' *''Knjige lažu!'' (Znanje, 1997), Grigor Vitez Award *''Pavo protiv Pave'' (Mozaik kniga, 2002) *''Žuta minuta: rock'n'roll bajka'' (Autorska kuća, 2005), Grigor Vitez Award *''Dlakovuk'' (Knjiga u centru and Autorska kuća, 2007) *''Jadnorog'' (Knjiga u centru, 2008) 'Awards' He has won four SFERA Awards and two Grigor Vitez Awards, and was nominated for the Eisner Award twice (for Grendel Tales: Devils and Deaths and A Prayer to the Sun, published in Vertigo's Weird War Tales). 'External links' *Official website Category:Authors Category:Creatives